6 October the main domestic blockbuster of this year is released in Russian cinemas – film adaptation of the novel by Alexei Ivanov "The Heart of Parma" with Evgeny Mironov, Alexey Kravchenko and Fyodor Bondarchuk as real historical figures.
If you start from the beginning, it needs to be clarified, what “parma” capitalized – this is the North Ural name for a special type of coniferous forest. It is in this forest that the main action of the film takes place..
It is in Parma, in the very first frames of the film, that the band of Ushkuiniki ravages the pagan sanctuary of the Permians and kidnaps the local deity, the idol Sorni-nai. (Golden Baba). This leads to a religious war, for which the fragmented local tribes for the first time unite around a common leader.
Initially, the novel by Alexei Ivanov was called "Cherdyn - Princess of the Mountains". But for the later reissue, they picked up a more sonorous and meaningful title "Heart of Parma".
For the writer Alexei Ivanov, "The Heart of Parma" was the first literary success and a pass to the world of great literature., and also opened his name to lovers of reading.
A photo: © frame from the film “Heart of Parma”/Central Partnership
The novels and film adaptations of The Geographer Drank His Globe Away with Konstantin Khabensky that followed The Heart of Parma, "Pishchebloka" – about vampires in the Soviet pioneer camp and "Tobol" – only consolidated the success and recognition of Alexei Ivanov.
by the way, in honor of the author's first popular novel with 2006 year in the vicinity of Cherdyn annually hold the festival "Heart of Parma", gathering more than a thousand participants.
Genre "Hearts of Parma" - historical novel. Many critics at the same time add "... with fantasy elements", but the author strongly disagrees with this definition.
A photo: © Heart of Parma:most anticipated movie of the year
Novel "Heart of Parma", just like the current movie., interesting, Firstly, with its high detail of the life of that time and in general the richest ethnographic factography. Of course, history is not worth learning, but the life of distant ancestors – quite. It is known even, that for more immersion in the era, Ivanov created his own small local history museum.
so, The action of the novel takes place in the second half of the 15th century. , that is, in the era, when the Moscow state, under the leadership of Ivan III, called the "collector of Russian lands", was actively expanding to the East and subjugated those places, which are now known as the Cis-Urals.
The local population at that time professed partial Orthodoxy, partly local pagan cults. It is these different beliefs that became the basis of large-scale disagreements in the novel..
The main plot is based on the confrontation between the Moscow troops and the population of the ancient Urals, who wants to defend their own independence. Between these two warring parties is Prince Mikhail Ermolaevich, which the, falling in love with one of the pagan witches named Tiche, is trying to reconcile the Principality of Moscow, which has already entered Orthodoxy, and the inhabitants of Parma, who have remained mostly pagans.
A photo: © frame from the film “Heart of Parma”/Central Partnership
The story in the "Heart of Parma" is told from the perspective of several characters – course, thanks to which the notorious "Game of Thrones" came out in due time. by the way, The "Heart of Parma" is compared to this world-famous film saga in many ways.. And the white-haired representatives of the water villages from the "Heart of Parma" were dubbed Permian Targaryens by the first viewers of the film..
The film adaptation of The Heart of Parma has been preparing for release for several years..
Anton Megerdichev was immediately chosen as the director of this film epic., known for his many and many years of documentary work with Leonid Parfyonov for the TV button with a green ball and for filming the highest grossing Russian film in history, who has crossed the line in his earnings 3 billion rubles – "Upward movement". Well, also the author of the third "Christmas Trees" in combination.
With the cast of "Heart of Parma" the director did not trifle. Here is collected all the color of the current Russian screen : Yevgeny Mironov as Bishop John of Perm, Fyodor Bondarchuk plays Tsar Ivan III, Aleksandr Kuznetsov – Adult Prince Mikhail Ermolaevich, Roza Khairullina – nanny of little prince Michael, Sergei Puskepalis, tragically killed in an accident – guardian of Prince Poljud, Alexey Kravchenko – head of one of the allied principalities, Vitaly Kishchenko – governor from Moscow, Elena Panova – wife Polyuda and many others.
Is it any wonder, that with such components, "The Heart of Parma" became the opening film of the current MIFF and received many rave reviews from film critics.
A photo: © frame from the film “Heart of Parma”/Central Partnership
Filming of the film epic by Alexei Ivanov and Anton Megerdichev took place directly in the places, where the action of the book takes place - in the vicinity of the ancient capital of the Perm region. Local residents actively participated in the process. It was they who played the population of Cherdyn and generally created extras.
"Heart of Parma" – the film is complex and ambiguous in perception. Of its indisputable advantages, it is worth noting the attention of the creators to details..
for example, costumes for residents of the fictional water city of Uros - local Targaryens – sewn from real fish scales, chum salmon skin.
Strict casting for the roles in the "Heart of Parma" were not only people, but also animals. The role of the horse of the protagonist Prince Mikhail was immediately claimed by 15 horses. To choose the best, the performer of the role of the prince, the now ideologically unstable actor Alexander Kuznetsov, had to rehearse battle scenes on each of them in full combat uniforms. this, given that Alexander is afraid of horses, was that feat.
Howbeit, as a result, a horse named Frigate was selected for filming. by the way, unlike Alexander Kuznetsov, Frigate had an understudy in the frame.
Beyond horses, trained wolves took part in the filming of "Heart of Parma", owls, lynx, dogs, hawks, deer and moose. true, the role of a giant fighting elk on which the leader of the pagans Asyku rode was played by an ordinary made-up heavy horse, height at the withers about 2 m. An elk mask with large horns was put on the head of the animal, made from lightweight, but durable material with carbon threads; threw a blanket on top, imitating the skin of an elk with traces of wounds, and on top, a hump attached to the back of a horse.
A photo: © frame from the film “Heart of Parma”/Central Partnership
First half of the film – this is mostly an attempt to acquaint the audience with numerous heroes and their way of life. Came out uneven, sometimes very slow and sad. So sad, that sometimes I wanted to leave the cinema.
maybe, in the printed version, all the actions of the heroes have a logical explanation. Alas, The movie can't boast. In places, the actions and words of the characters are categorically incomprehensible. And long and meaningful dialogues do not save the situation, rather the opposite.
Even though, that half of the characters in the novel were lost when the text of the book was transferred to the screen, the first half hour of the film is desperately confused in a huge number of identical bearded characters appearing on the screen.
It's impossible to remember everyone here.. Yes in essence, this is not necessary. Many, it would seem, significant actions will not have any consequences and significance for the plot.
The women in Parma aren't even minor characters., a, rather, decorations. All, including the main character, the wife of Prince Mikhail, the witch Lamia Tiche. Despite the significant swing, her role also boils down to a beautiful but completely meaningless nude fashion show through the snow.
Of the minuses of the "Heart of Parma": strong delay of the first half of the story. After all, the timing of 2 o'clock 40 minutes is very hard to keep at one spectacular level.
Of course, for, to understand, who's who in the film, it is not necessary to get acquainted with the source. But without knowledge of the work, the process of immersion in film realities turns out to be much more difficult..
A photo: © frame from the film “Heart of Parma”/Central Partnership
Another significant visual disadvantage – categorical mismatch of external types of actors, playing small and adult Prince Michael. It's hard to explain to yourself, as from a dark-eyed and dark-haired teenager, with a chiseled nose and high cheekbones, Mikhail became a completely faded blond with bright eyes and a broken nose. Because of this, the first appearance of the matured Permian leader causes a sharp denial, which flattens out only towards the second half of the film.
From the advantages of the "Heart of Parma": effective maximum elaborated picture. It's interesting to look at the details., they are so well made.
Great battle scenes, which the creators managed to shoot on a large scale, but at the same time clear and concise. There is no feeling of a general mess, only battle of heroes and their enemies. Truly it turned out no worse than the notorious "battle of the bastards" from the "Game of Thrones".
Well, the main plus of the "Heart of Parma" – this is the cast. Only for the sake of Yevgeny Mironov in the role of Bishop John is this film worth watching.
For the tragically deceased Sergei Puskepalis, mentor and guardian of the young prince Michael – People – became one of the last roles. His hero Polyud saved Mikhan from certain death as a child., replaced his father and loved him like a son. Even the eternally dissatisfied and skeptical journalistic fraternity met the final shots with the participation of the hero Sergei with applause. That rare occasion, when an actor in life turned out to be very similar to his noble and honest screen character. Humanly sorry.
"Heart of Parma" turned out to be a large-scale and expensive creation. Is it a joke, budget in 610 millions. But it's pretty hard to watch.. How difficult it is to grasp the main idea of this whole large-scale epic, for whom and why did Prince Michael create this whole story, killing hundreds of friends and thousands of enemies.
Alena Zhirikova
